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The Blue Jay continues to be one of the leading one-design, sloop-rigged sailboats in existence today.  Fathered by Drake H. Sparkman, head of the New York designing firm of Sparkman and Stephens, Inc. after his tenure as chairman of a yacht club junior sailing program, the Blue Jay was pencil drawn in 1947.  Designed as a “ baby Lightning” it became an all-around junior training boat and now has numbers over 7,200.  It is used not only in novice programs in yacht clubs from Florida to Maine, but also in teen’s, men’s, and women’s events.  Originally constructed of wood, the IBJCA voted in the early 1960s to allow fiberglass, however, wooden boats are still being made today.  It is interesting to note that when a friend of Drake Sparkman suggested that he name the boat “Blue Bird” he decided on the “Blue Jay” which could effectively be marked by a blue “J” on the sail. (Perhaps he thought noting the junior aspect).

The International Blue Jay Class Association was formed in 1954 by Allegra Knapp Mertz.  President for 35 years, she built the class with active board members.  Among those, Bob Sparkman, Drake’s son, who was treasurer for 20 years.  James Rousmaniere was President in 1960 and 1961; Ed Hoffman, President in 1971.  In 1984, at American Yacht Club’s Blue Jay Nationals, Leggie turned the gavel over to Bill Dunbar who had been an active board member for ten years.  He continues in this position today.

The Association (IBJCA) is made up of voluntary officers and executive board members from different sailing areas on the East Coast.  They continue to maintain a strict one-design class, publish a yearbook and newsletter, coordinate regional regattas and clinics, offer a National regatta ( Championship winner may apply for Champion of Champions ) and Master’s regatta plus have added a website

In 2005, Jim Hansen of Formula Boat Works, Ledyard, CT donated the Blue Jay mold he acquired from Salle Evelyn,(deceased), of Formula Yachts, to the Association in her memory.  Both Jim and Salle were dedicated to the Blue Jay and its continued growth for many years and this offer was graciously accepted. The Association has made arrangements to have a new builder, Allen Boat Co., use the newly acquired mold, noting that Tom Allen has been the builder of the Lightning for many years.  We welcome him “ on board”.

Class website:
http://www.sailbluejay.org/

From the Class:

The Tornado was designed in the autumn of 1967 by Rodney March from England, with help from Terry Pierce, and Reg White, specifically for the purpose of being the new Olympic Catamaran, which was to be selected by the IYRU in an Olympic Catamaran Trials. The boat was developed mainly in Brightlingsea, England.

International Status was granted to the Tornado as a result of its outright winning of the IYRU Trials held in England. The next step, adding the Catamaran event to the Olympic program, occurred two years later, with the result that the first Catamaran event, sailed in 1976 in Canada, was sailed in the Tornado. The Tornado is an outstanding example of a class that was designed specifically for Olympic competition that has become a successful International class on its own merits.

2000 Olympic Silver Medalists: Darren Bundock and John Forbes (AUS)The Tornado has since remained unchallenged as the ultimate one-design catamaran. With its modern, stylish rigging and sleek lines the Tornado is quick to catch the eye of any water-drawn on-looker as it speeds across harbors, lakes, and oceans in over 30 countries around the world. With its ability to reach speeds of 15-18 knots upwind and downwind, and 33+ knots reaching, the Tornado is truly the purists’ speed machine.

Over 4,800 Tornados have been built, with 1,200 class association members worldwide. In 2004, on the Saronikos Gulf in Greece, the Tornado will be sailing in its seventh Olympic Games.

Except for refinements in technical details – improvements in hull, sail, and spar technology, better blocks and lines – the Tornado was unchanged from its beginnings in to the early 90’s. Then, as a result of the increasing popularity of other, smaller catamarans, the Tornado class undertook a major development program in 1993. It was specifically to respond to a request from the IYRU to search for ways to improve the public and media awareness of the sport of yachting, and secondarily to answer the possible challengers to its ‘top cat’ role.

Two weeks of intensive on-the-water testing and development took place in Miami, following considerable discussion and planning. Among the participants were the three medalists from Barcelona as well as designer Reg White. The International Tornado Association spent nearly US$22,000 on the testing, evaluation, reporting, and finally balloting process to the class membership, to find the fairest and best ways to improve the class and the sport in ways acceptable to the sailors.

The testing involved 10 standard and fully competitive Tornados, one boat with a larger main and jib, and two boats with a variety of sailplans that included spinnakers of up to 32 sq. M. Fourteen races were run over the testing period in addition to in-line speed and handling evaluations.

As part of the testing process, new courses were also used, most involving a leeward gate.

Following the testing and regatta, the following points were clear; the larger main/jib combination was only marginally faster than the standard rig, and the spinnaker boats were a surprise, only beating the standard rigs in 2 of the 14 races. The ITA then balloted the class membership, with not only the conclusions but also all of the data and the testing procedure, helping to provide insights to the rig selection process.

A two-thirds majority is required by the class constitution to implement any change; this majority was not reached, the class voting against the expense of a change with no real benefit to sailing. Thus the class retained the same sailplan for the next two Olympics. The course changes, giving the possiblity of better spectator access and greater media coverage, received the votes necessary to be adopted by the class.

The Class felt then that the changes in course, rather than changes in the equipment, would have a greater impact on public awareness and media coverage. Courses are adjustable in length for wind, thus giving a fixed racing time for the event, and the shorter-than-before course also tend to keep the boats closer, making the racing more exciting and more easily viewed. The fixed Start/Finish lines also is a help, allowing faster turn-around times between races. The new course formats have been in use in the World Championship beginning in ’93, and have proven popular with both the sailors and committees, and are continued today.

The issue of changes in the boat were revisited in 1999, when the ISAF decided to have a Multihull Evaluation Trials in France to look at “possible replacements” in the Olympic program for the Tornado. At the time, there were a number of technical changes in materials that allowed for better spinnakers, and better control, and there were then a number of successful double-trapeze plus spinnaker catamarans on the market in the Tornado size range – 20 feet – that were becoming popular.

The Trials were interesting. Except for the custom, all-carbon Marstrom 20, the standard Tornado dominated upwind, beating all production challengers from Hobie, Nacra, Mystere, and others. Only by piling on sail area, plus a spinnaker, were any of the challengers able to beat the Tornado around the race course, and even then the advantage disappeared as the wind increased. But the extra athleticism needed to sail with a double trapeze, and the extra visual interest provided by the spinnakers, was undeniable, and the final outcome was that the ISAF decreed that the equipment for the 2004 Olympics would be the “Tornado with double trapeze and spinnaker”, and left it up to the class how to implement the changes.

The class took an approach that allowed some development and testing, with the goal of keeping crew weight in the same range as with the old rig. The final result, approved by the class in early 2001, were both evolutionary and radical. First was a new mainsail with a flat top and more area, providing more heeling moment to compensate for the double instead of single trapeze and help keep crew weights with the same range. Second, done to clear the trampoline to make spinnaker work possible, was to redesign the jib. The new jib had the same area, but was longer on the luff and shorter on the foot to allow it to be sheeted to the main beam. Interestingly, this change, moving the sail area forward, overcame one of the Tornado’s handicaps, tacking, and made this maneuver much easier. The innovation of a self-tacking jib appeared later in 2001, and was quickly adopted by the entire fleet. Finally, of course, there was the spinnaker, and the class set only size limits, allowing the question of spinnaker handling equipment to be settled on the race course. Again, the advantages of spinnaker launching tubes quickly established themselves, and became a class standard. Interestingly, the two biggest boathandling improvements, the self-tacking jib and the spinnaker tubes, were quickly adopted by the classes below the Tornado, especially the International Formula 18, which was becoming the Tornado trainer for future Olympians.

Class website:
http://www.tornado.org/

With its legendary design and induction into the Sailing Hall of Fame, the Hobie 16 is truly in a class of its own. Thirty years of racing and going stronger than ever.

Powerful enough to challenge veteran sailors yet easy enough for beginners, the Hobie 16 is the perfect all-around cat. Asymmetrical hulls eliminate the need for dagger boards. This makes for easy launching and beaching.

The Hobie 16… the ultimate one design class.

Specifications:
Length: 16′ 7″
Beam: 7′ 11″
Mast Length: 26′ 6″
Sail Area: 218 Sq. Ft.
Weight: 320 lbs.
Hull Construction: Fiberglass/Foam Sandwich

Class website:
http://www.hobieclass.com/

From the class association:
The Interlake is one of those “best kept secrets.”  Many sailors are not familiar with the design.  It has to do with approach.  The class has been strong since day one.  There simply has never been a huge marketing blitz.  The class just never wanted to be part of the international scene.  The goal has always been to be a Midwest regional class and to promote high level competition in a friendly atmosphere.  Members not only value the feel and performance of the boat, as well as the competition, but also enjoy the festivities which surround the events.  This philosophy has served the class well for over seventy years.  Not only has the class remained active and healthy, but members have competed well in the prestigious U.S.S.A. Champion of Champions Regatta, and served on U.S. Sailing’s Executive Committee.

The Interlake was commissioned by the Sandusky Sailing Club in 1933.  Francis Sweisguth, who had already designed the Star, was hired to develop a boat for the waters of Lake Erie and Sandusky Bay.  The craft was to be tactical with a good turn of speed, raced by two to three people and also accommodate four or more adults for a comfortable day sail.  It needed to be easily trailerable and easy to sail.  The result was the Interlake.  (It also singlehands very well).

When examining the Interlake the graceful similarities with the Star’s lines are immediately noticeable.  This accounts for the incredible feel.  Further investigation reveals a sail plan that is simple to rig, simple to sail, and full of performance.  In fact, today’s hottest new designs (the expensive sport boats) have rigs remarkably similar to the Interlake’s.  Details such as:  a large roachy main, smaller 110% jib, fractional rigging, and no backstay are similarities to both designs.  This simple rigging not only produces turnkey speed, but also makes trailering a breeze.  The Interlake is also built to last.  Twenty plus year old boats still win the Nationals.  They just keep going and going . . .

Generations and Genders    When sailing an Interlake you can expect a dry ride (in most conditions), good upwind ability, smooth planing off the wind, and good speed at deep sailing angles.  Acceleration is good, better than with most similar dingy classes (such as the Lightning or Flying Scot), and maneuverability is exceptional.  The helm is light and responsive, immediately telling the skipper what to do.  If the skipper doesn’t listen, the boat simply goes a little slower . . . it won’t break anything or throw the crew in the drink (like a Laser might!).  All the basic controls are there to adjust the sails to the conditions.  Then just trim and go.  The straight ahead nature allows performance at peak level without a lot of tweaking.  Not only is it fun to go fast, but this makes the Interlake an extremely tactical boat.

The only way to truly understand that this is just part of the story is to take a ride.  Yet the best part of the class is not the boat, but the sailors.  Sailors who cheerfully share their knowledge because they enjoy close competition.  Sailors who keep the good times going off the water as well.  The Interlake and the company it keeps are, well, . . . irresistible.

INTERLAKE SPECIFICATIONS
Length: 18′ 0″
Beam: 6′ 3″

DRAFT:
Board Up: 8″
Board Down: 4′ 7″

Displacement: 650 lbs.

Racing Crew: 2 or 3

SAIL AREA
Main: 125 sq. ft.
Jib: 50 sq. ft.
Spinnaker: 200 sq. ft.

Class website:
http://www.interlakesailing.org/